CR-V Key Fob Acting Up? Common Antenna Issue Explained

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my 2014 Honda HR-V (also had a chance to drive the Civic from the same era). I've got some experience working on cars, though I'm no expert. The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I dealt with. My key fob would work intermittently, super annoying! Took it to my regular workshop and they found a faulty cable connection to the bumper antenna. Total repair cost me around 260€, they had to replace some wiring and do a bit of programming. Just to make sure we're dealing with the same issue, when your fob doesn't work, are you having to get really close to the car? Also, does it happen more often in certain weather conditions? Could you share if you've noticed any other electrical quirks? Knowing your exact trim level might help too, as different versions have slightly different antenna setups.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Yeah, it's exactly like that, have to get super close sometimes for it to work. My CR-V just hit 291889 KM and had its last service two weeks ago, but they didn't spot this issue then. When it doesn't work, I basically have to put the fob right against the door handle, which is really frustrating, especially when I'm carrying groceries. It's pretty unusual, works fine sometimes, then completely fails the next moment. Haven't really noticed any pattern with weather though. I'll get it checked out at the workshop. Really hoping it's just a wiring issue like yours and not something more serious with the main computer. Did yours take long to fix?

Hey again! Thanks for the follow-up about your CR-V. Yeah, that's EXACTLY what happened with my HR-V, having to practically hug the door with the key fob was such a pain! The repair actually didn't take that long at all. My mechanic had it sorted in about 2-3 hours. Most of that time was spent accessing the wiring (they had to remove some trim pieces) and doing the final programming. The actual wire replacement was pretty quick once they located the problem. Since you mentioned yours has similar symptoms to what I experienced, especially that thing about having to touch the door handle, I'm pretty confident it's the same wiring issue. The good news is that once it's fixed, it stays fixed, mine's been working perfectly for over a year now. One tip though, since your car has pretty high mileage (mine was around there too when this happened), it might be worth having them check the other electrical connections while they're in there. Could save you another workshop visit down the road. Let me know how it goes when you get it checked out! Always curious to hear if others have the same fix work for them.

I'll definitely take your advice about checking other electrical connections, makes total sense given the mileage. Thanks so much for sharing your experience, it's really put my mind at ease knowing it's likely just a wiring issue and not something major with the computer system. Really helpful to know it only took 2-3 hours to fix too. I'll book it in at the workshop next week and have them check those connections you mentioned. It's such a relief to hear yours has been working perfectly for over a year after the repair, gives me confidence this won't be a recurring problem. I'll certainly update once it's fixed. Thanks again for all the detailed info and suggestions, it's exactly what I needed to know! Much appreciated.